Introduction
The humble post it note ... who hasn't used one?! And even if you haven't used one, you are bound to of heard of them. The little bits of sticky paper that seem to have been around for ever! Though normally used for reminders and sometimes shopping lists, they have even been used to make art work!

History
So how was the post it notes made? Who thought of the idea for this little bit of sticky paper? Well, in 1968 Dr. Spencer Silver created the sticky strip that you use to attach the paper to a surface. For around five years he tried desperately to get his idea of the ground, but found no takers. When attending one of his seminars, Art Fry came up with the idea to use the sticky strip to keep his bookmark from falling out of his hymn book. 3M launched the post it notes under the name "Press and Peal", but once again, didn't get very far. After giving out some free samples to people living in Boise, Idaho, they found out that 95% of the people who tried it would actually buy it. In 1980 they finally released the Post It Notes in American stores and a year later in Europe and Canada. And the famous yellow paper? It was only because a lab which was running next door to them had some scrap yellow paper!

So, What Is A Post It Note?
Well, after the success of the plain, yellow and square version of the post it note, 3M has since tried to sell just about everything else and are definitely taking advantage in their popularity! So describing a post it note is quite hard! Not only are they now available in every colour you could think of, they are also available in any shape and size you could think off!

As well as their normal post it notes, they have introduced a "Z" pack as well. The idea is that every other post it note in a pack has the adhesive at the top, and the others in between have it at the bottom. So when you stretch out the pack, it looks like lots of Zs. If you turn it around then look like Ns as well... but we won't go there! I don't really get the idea of these to be honest!
At the back of the pack of sticky paper is a cardboard square, this is simply so the back of the pack doesn't stick to every surface it's placed on! In front of the cardboard is about 100 post it notes (I think the normal pack is 100, but I'm pretty sure you can get more or less if you need to). And it is quite amazing really as they are held together by just a strip of sticky adhesive. So when they are all stuck together still, it looks like a flip book in a way. That is probably the best I can describe a post it note.

Using Them
As I have got kids, I will admit I usually buy the shaped and multi coloured packs. Right now in the kitchen we are working our way through a green pear pack and a red apple one, so I will base my review on these.

At the back of our work surface is always a pad of post it notes and a pen, though you will be lucky if the pen actually works...! And so if say we have run out of milk, it is simply written down and left stuck to the work surface. Even with our back door wide open and strong winds coming inside, I don't think one of the post it notes has ever flown off. I also use them just to stick on the fridge to remind my other half to eat them ham today as it goes out of date. Little things like that, which paper isn't great for. Another things we use it for is a shopping list. We take out a big post it note (the rectangular shaped ones normally) and write down whatever we need. And then, when we get to the supermarket, we simply stick it onto the trolley. Very handy, and it also means I don't keep putting it down and forgetting about it every five minutes! The only problem with that is the bigger post it notes cost more and you still have to write pretty small!
As well as me, my other half and my kids, my Nan also uses it. She is 91 and does tend to forget things quite often. Me and Izzy went off searching in shops and on the internet and eventually found some pretty big rectangular post it notes. The difference with these ones is that they actually have the adhesive all around the edge. So they are a big like a big, plain sticker. On these she writes down for example "Remember keys" and has it stuck on the door. She also has one telling her to remember to turn the tap off. I thought this would be interesting. As it is right by the taps, it was bound to get wet and I wasn't sure if it would be able to withstand moisture and thought it might peel off. However, it stayed strong and is still there today.

So all together, it is great for me and my family for remembering things and it seems like it can resist anything you throw at it. Be it water, wind and time!
My Only Problem

As 3M have got so big, they have started charging more and more. Getting just a pack of 3M canary yellow, original post it notes from their website? Impossible! You have to buy packs of at least 20 for it to work out even nearly good value for money. A lot of the time we don't buy 3M and just get ours from the pound shop. You can get about 3 or four packs for a pound. Though they don't stick as well, they are much cheaper than 3M. But be careful, many a time have we brought four or five packs of post it notes from the pound shop or the 99p shop, and they have turned out to be rubbish. Not only do they not stick, but they just rip a lot of the time. This is where 3M are good, as I have never had a bad purchase with them!
Overall

They are of course the Kings and Queens of the Post It Note Kingdom, but I think they may be getting a bit cocky! There is now way that it costs two or three quid to make a pack of these, and when you average it out, that is what they are charging a lot of the time! At the bottom I will put a link so you can check them out as it is a waste of yours and my time putting all the prices here. So if they lower there prices, I will start to buy from them again, but for now and for my needs, they are just charging way too much! Though for my Nan, where they need to be durable and last a long time, they are perfect. I don't know if the post it notes are for you or not, as it depends on how you plan to use them!

Thanks for reading! Please rate and comment :) x
*Also posted on Ciao under the same name*
@IzzyInTheHouse